Adaptive/Responsive Mobile Design for eLearning

The need to adapt content to a variety of electronic devices can easily be traced back to the concerted effort for ‘mobile-compatible websites’… There is even a top-level domain established with the vision of everyone having a “.mobi” version of their website available for folks who were visiting via their handheld devices. Fortunately, CSS advances continued to enable more fluid layouts so sites could adapt to the visiting device without having to shunt them to a different URL.

While there ultimately may evolve no distinction between ‘eLearning’ and ‘mLearning’, both terms will remain until online training content is designed to be responsive to the device – a concept more commonly referred to as ‘Responsive eLearning Design’ or RED – as adapted from the better known ‘RWD’ concept (Responsive Web Design). Ideally, ‘eLearning’ should be the only term we need to cover all forms of online training.

The (forced) move to HTML5 as a primary tool in eLearning development opens a few doors – one of which being the establishment of CSS and the concept of ‘separate content from design’. Now instead of trying to access an eLearning course designed for a desktop screen by pinching, swiping, and scrolling on a mobile phone, the entire structure of the course can adapt and allow for more natural access (and that’s not to say that wasn’t possible with Flash, it’s just a longer-established principle with HTML).

And that’s also not to imply that adaptive/responsive design is the only component of ‘mLearning’ – certainly not. Being a completely different device, different functionality is possible. It’ll take a bit more work between the mobile-OS developers and the W3C, but someday having access to, say, a phone’s GPS or camera through HTML5 will allow a course to adapt its available features as well as its overall design to the device. Until then, creating an ‘App’ version of your courseware is the only option for accessing device-specific features…which is a valid option…but gets into difficulties of distribution and compatibility. Overall, developing a single product which adapts to the device is almost always the most elegant and cost-effective approach.

That aside, it’s not that developing for mobile devices is more expensive or complex; it just requires different design principles to be applied. The biggest impediment to Responsive eLearning Design is the authoring tool – very few offer any sort of adaptive design capabilities and those that do are pretty limited.

More and more of our customers are requesting their custom courseware be mobile-compatible but often that means ‘will work with iPads and other tablets’ instead of a true, globally-mobile solution. With the resolution and capabilities of tablets, the customer then likely does not need the additional effort of responsive design…which allows for greater toolset options and lower costs.
However, where true mobile-compliance is required, and thus a solid ‘RED’ approach to allow optimal product development, we often turn to our custom HTML-based framework.

When eLearning tools were starting out and their features were limited, we created a much more efficient and flexible SCORM-compliant, Flash-based framework for custom projects. With the advent of mobile and a preferred HTML approach, we’ve rewritten this ‘shell code’ for pure HTML output. So where an off-the-shelf authoring tool may be the best solution for some projects, our ‘HTML Shell’ provides the ultimate flexibility when designing for adaptive courseware. The next step on our plate is integrating TinCan (xAPI) features into the framework. Stay tuned!


Footnote: yes, there are technical differences between ‘responsive’ and ‘adaptive’ design approaches – but the essential goal is the same. Regardless of the technology and approach you use, the now age-old concept of ‘write once, run anywhere’ must take into consideration responsive/adaptive design for truly effective eLearning courseware.

Adobe Captivate 7, eLS future, subscriptions...

Captivate 7 was released, with a little...smattering fanfare a couple days ago. There's a pretty good notice on the official Adobe Captivate blog which details the features, and it seems like a pretty great update...but there's no mention at all of the new release on Adobe's home page which is kinda...lame. Sure, the Creative Cloud push is apparently Adobe's top priority, but not even a sub-category box to herald this update?

Which somewhat leads to a common issue with Adobe's site overall - there's no up-front mention of their eLearning products at all. Even things which could apply, like 'Students' or 'Educational institutions' are all not-eLearning and have to do with other software packages and/or general licensing.
Maybe its just been temporarily pushed aside by all the CC-oriented material... Currently, the only way to find out about Captivate, Presenter, or the eLearning Suite is to search for the specific term, or click a tiny 'See All Products' link then review a huge list...

At any rate, Captivate 7 looks good, and its still available as a 'traditional' version - where you download the installer and its actually installed on your machine without any 'cloud' or 'subscription' connection.
The full version pricing is $899.
Upgrade pricing is $359, which is a fair deal, but only applies if you have a standalone (not eLS) license for CP6.
Or you can do the subscription model for $20/month (with the 1 year plan).

Some thoughts on all that:
1. The subscription model would seem best. Assuming you want to keep up with the latest version, and assuming the next version of CP (8) would come out in 2 years at most, that's $480 total. That's more than the upgrade pricing but does allow the intermittent updates that 'traditional' licenses will not (for right or wrong) have access to.
And if you consider the product cycles are generally 18 months, not 24, it's the same price as the upgrade cost ($360).

2. However, the subscription approach very well may overwrite your previous version of Captivate with the new one...so when CP8 is released, once you approve the upgrade, no more CP7? If everyone is on the same plan/version, that's likely not a problem. If not, it could be. We have multiple versions of CP installed for various clients and testing. It's such a part of our process, we're wary of this 'one single version only' approach.

*NOTE: Per Dr. Allen's reply below, previous versions should not be overwritten by the upgrade, so that's great news.

3. With many of the eLearning Suite (eLS) products now a part of the Creative Cloud, it seem there will be no more eLearning Suite updates. That's not confirmed, as far as I know, but seems likely. So those with eLS 6 licenses, and not CP6 licenses, are not able to get any upgrade pricing. Phooey.
And while eLS 6.1 is still being sold, it doesn't seem its being sold with a subscription option.

*NOTE: Per Dr. Allen's reply below, there's news on the eLS front coming soon! We'll post here when that's provided. Fingers crossed!

So we'll likely license one traditional CP7 version to have installed 'in perpetuity' and a CP7 subscription for the rest of our development team to allow access to the latest updates and improvements.
Of course, then we'll see what happens with the Creative Cloud overall and the integration (?) of Captivate... Maybe there will be an eLS subset subscription? That could be the best solution...

Guest Post: m-Learning with Mobile Devices

E-learning can provide individuals a classroom experience even in their absence. Many people nowadays attend their classes or lectures from a distance, whether at home or from work, through e-learning. In fact, e-learning  can enhance the entire learning process since one only needs to have access to the  internet in order to, in turn, have access to the learning content usually provided from a classroom. Natural growth has then provided us with m-learning, which improves efficiency and access in terms of portability and flexibility. Technically, with e-learning, one may only have access to learning content through a personal computer fixed at one place. M-learning is a term used to describe the enhancement of e-learning, providing the learning experience via portable platforms. M-learning generally implies devices such as mobile phones and tablets.

Mobile Learning

Mobile devices have transformed the entire learning experience. For instance, one can listen to recordings, such as webinars or distance-learning lesson, on their mobile phone. Learning materials can also be accessed on the internet via tablets, notebooks and handheld computers. As long as one has internet connection to his/her phone, tablet or notebook, accessing information is quite easy and usually fast, and can be done from anywhere at any time. Smart phones and tablets like the iPad, Galaxy Tab, Toshiba Excite, iDeos and more are examples of devices used for m-learning.

Mobile Devices

Smart phones offer mobile learning on a number of fronts, some of which are not present on other common mobile devices. Mobile learning on smart phones can feature short videos that one can watch on the move. They may also include interactive applications, which utilize the common functions like quizzes and assessments. M-learning on iPhones or similar smart phones can offer advice relating to any learning project in just a few minutes. An interesting dichotomy is a “smart phone” is generally a step-up from a “feature phone” in capabilities and features but the m-Learning content is generally a step down in complexity due to the size of the screen.

Many colleges and educators are resorting to the use of smart devices in learning as smart phones and the advent of the ‘App’ provide a number of learning tools to enhance the entire learning process. Some of these applications include Planets, TED, Simplex Spelling HD, Pocket MBA and Mindmeister. The TED app updates the user with information on the latest inventions and advancements in the world of technology. Simplex Spelling HD is on the other hand, is an app that enables both kids and adults to write and spell words well. The Mindmeister is also another interesting app on iPhones that teaches the users how to conduct mind mapping sessions in order to enhance their learning ability and increase their learning speed.

Increasing Popularity

The use of iPhones and similar smart phones is increasingly growing in popularity as technological advancements keep expanding. Many organizations are adopting this technology to incorporate the use of short videos and documents meant to guide and educate employees. A mobile learning experience with an iPhone can be accompanied by audio, video, and interactive components – just like e-learning provides on the desktop. Additionally, smart phone models continue to improve in feature set, connectivity options and speed, and responsiveness.

Different people and cultures have unique and different ways of learning, and mobile learning has now ventured out as a new learning option. Mobile/micro-learning stands out for its incredible flexibility in accessing information ‘any time, anywhere’. However, a major reason why m-learning is growing in terms of popularity is its ability to work well with device technologies. For instance, a mobile phone comes with features like cameras and GPS that are useful to an organization; and at the same time are capable of integrating with other learning programs. With situations whereby we have some remote areas, especially in the developing countries with limited access to electricity and the internet, mobile learning becomes a highly essential tool.

About the Author

Diana Wicks holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the London School of Economics. She also holds a Master's in Business Administration from the same institution. While she isn't contributing to online education resources such as DegreeJungle, Wicks works as a writer at Demand Studios.

-Edited by Erik L.

Adobe Creative Cloud – Clarity and Concerns

Adobe’s Creative Cloud, a web-based subscription service providing access to all their tools, has been available for about a year now and has reportedly grown to over half a million subscribers. The success has apparently been strong enough for Adobe to now go ‘all in’.

The ‘Creative Suite’ product lines will be retired, thus there will be no Creative Suite 7 series (though Adobe says they’ll ensure CS6 will be updated once more to work with newer Mac and Windows OS versions). From now on, it’ll just be ‘CC’ (Creative Cloud) and with the constant updates as a part of that subscription service, there will no longer be distinct versions.

So upgrade to a CC subscription before July 31, 2013, and save “at least” 40% off the pricing…which applies to individual subscriptions. For ‘Teams’, eWeek reports pricing at $69.99/month, per seat, with a year discounted to $39.99/month for customers with CS3 or later volume licenses. Adobe does have specific pages on Enterprise and Team licensing.

Overall marketing-speak information on the Creative Cloud service is available all over Adobe’s site…but what does it really mean? Terry White’s blog has a nice article, “5 Myths About Adobe Creative Cloud” with the intent of dispelling some concerns. See the article for more details, but in sum:

1. Creative Cloud applications do not run in a web browser; they are downloaded and installed ‘locally’ on your workstation.
2. You don’t have to be constantly connected to the ‘net to run the applications, but they will require a once-a-month ‘check in’ to verify licensing.
3. You don’t have to be a Creative Cloud subscriber to access another’s files; if a collaborator chooses to give you a link to a file on their ‘cloud storage’, you’ll be able to access it, member or not. Think Google Docs/Drive’s ‘Anyone who has the link can view’ option.
4. If you plan to cancel your CC account, be sure to get all your files off the ‘cloud storage’ site and get them local. Adobe cannot limit your access to your own files; however, not sure what use those files will be without an active product (Terry suggests ‘saving down’).
5. A CC account doesn’t necessarily mean always having to run the latest software – you don’t have to upgrade the installed versions on your workstation…at least, you have a year to decide.

 That certainly helps clarify some of the more ‘vocal’ discussions we’ve seen, however, we really need Adobe to address additional ones.

1. eLearning: Deeply involved in the eLearning field, Adobe’s Captivate and Presenter products are mysteriously missing from the standard Cloud offering. If Adobe is going all-in with so many of its products, why not include ALL products? For now, eLearning developers will likely need to do a CC subscription as well as an eLearning Suite or Captivate license.
    And even more bizarre, Captivate and the eLearning Suite are both available as subscription products themselves, but it’s not clear if they have ‘team’ licensing options – per their FAQ, it’s just individual licensing. A one-year subscription to CP6 currently costs $19.99 per month…which is the same price for the ENTIRE CC individual subscription for those with a current CS6 license.
    Let’s hope the eLearning Suite is integrated with Creative Cloud soon. The best way to add your voice is to complete a ‘wish form’ asking Captivate be included.
    
2. File Versions: Terry somewhat addresses the cancellation of a subscription in his ‘myth’ post, in relation to file access, but more importantly…if you cancel the subscription, you no longer have working applications – at all. Now supposedly as a CC subscriber, you’ll have access to the CS6 versions of the software to download and actually install locally…so you *could* always save-down your source files to CS6… Except that most Adobe products only allow you to save-down one version (so, for example, downsaving from CC9 to CS6 may not be possible)…and downsaving often loses features…and there’s no guarantee CS6 will even work on the latest OS in a couple years.
    
3. App Versions: This may not be an issue once everyone, everywhere, has the same version of the software available but for now we frequently have to use various versions of a given piece of software (i.e. Captivate) to accommodate the software and/or source file versions of our customers. It’s important to have the various versions of Captivate installed to accommodate those requirements.
    With the CC subscription plan, it’s just one ‘install’ that’s updated – so there’s no way to maintain older versions. Per the FAQ, “You are not required to install any new version of the subscription software... You can continue using your current version of the product for one full year after the subsequent version is released.” So better ensure everyone is on the latest version before that year is up! What happens after that year? Does the previous version no longer work? Is the upgrade forced?
    
4. EOL: What happens when Adobe decides to ‘end-of-life’ a product? Authorware was EOL’d in 2007 but we still have an install or two for maintaining older products and occasional prototyping; we can use it as needed. What if any given application just isn’t working out and Adobe pulls it from the service? Will the installed version still work or will it lockout? If it still works, will it work ‘forever’?
    
5. Pricing: Currently, pricing is pretty nice with solid savings over a full license purchase for pretty much any software, especially if you don’t need eLearning tools. However, a problem with such models is that lock-in. If you can’t use the software when a subscription is cancelled, but you can’t afford a subscription increase – what do you do? Hopefully threats of moving to alternative software will prevent Adobe from raising subscription fees to some outrageous sum in two years (when downsaving and installed version workarounds are no longer feasible).

Overall, Adobe’s Creative Cloud could be a successful model and surely helps address concerns such as timely upgrades, piracy prevention, and recurring revenue streams. How well it works out for the actual users and content producers, especially us eLearning Developers…time will tell.

 

Mobile Courseware Development: Captivate 6

Having now developed a few projects with Captivate 6 and delivered that ‘bespoke’ courseware in both desktop and mobile-compatible formats, here are a few notes and findings on Captivate’s mobile support…

CP6 HTML Tracker

First, the ‘HTML Tracker’ is very helpful! Opening that option (Window > HTML5 Tracker) provides a nice overview of any unsupported items in your entire project. Clicking an entry even takes you to the related slide in the Filmstrip pane. If you open the tracker and don’t see any results, don’t immediately assume everything is copasetic…if a Master or Question Pool slide is selected, the tracker may not show any results despite there potentially being incompatibilities; be sure a ‘content’ slide is selected when the tracker is launched.

There are a few HTML5 notes in this ‘Top Issues’ document from Adobe, such as HTML5 content not launching if there are apostrophe’s in variable values, but these seem pretty tame compared to many of the other issues reported and questioned in the forums.

Some of those reports are issues with playback on a variety of LMS products – including Moodle and SuccessFactors. The latter issue is addressed in the above ‘Top Issues’ document (though not HTML5-specific). Other issues seem to be related to requirements that playback via IE 9 requires the browser to be in ‘standards’ mode, not ‘quirks’ mode, which makes sense for the HTML5 standard and compatibility itself…but how many folks are trying to launch HTML5 project files using IE9? In those situations, wouldn’t it be better to have the SWF version available as well?

When you publish the project, note the newer “Advanced Options” at the bottom-right. Forcing re-publishing can help when you’ve made some significant changes but your previews or published files don’t seem to be true to those changes…

And the ‘Scalable HTML content’ is great, assuming your project design considers it, for ensuring the published project takes advantage of all the tablet screen space. We’ve found this particularly helpful on the iPad browser (though somewhat ‘tiny’ on mobile phones).

Adobe has an additional document with several pointers for publishing to HTML5, including supported and unsupported features. Here are a few highlights;

· HTML5 output is supported only on iPads with OS version 5.1 or later.
  (we sure hope to see Android and Windows 8 added soon)
· HTML5 output is supported only on the following browsers:
 - Internet Explorer 9 or later
 - Safari 5.1 or later
 - Google Chrome 17 or later
   (we sure hope to see Firefox, at least, added to that list)
· Unsupported objects in HTML5 output
 - Text and SWF animations (only the first frame is visible)
 -- Exception – typing text is supported
 - Caption, image, slidelet rollovers
 -- Exception – button hover states are supported
 - Mouse click animations (only one default click effect is supported)
 - Question pools, Likert, random, matching, and FIB question slides
   (though the ‘subscription only’ update supports some of those now)
 - Slide transitions
 - Slide background if a SWF file is used
 - Audio attached to invisible objects
 - Mouse right-click and double-click

And one significant advantage of Captivate, the possibility and availability of third-party widgets, is also still in flux as providers decide whether to update their widgets to the new CP6 API…and seek assurances of some stability so they don’t have to undertake such drastic updates for every new version of Captivate. So look carefully to see if your favorite widgets have been updated to work in HTML5 output as well as SWF output.

Quick tip: when creating your slides, leave some ‘breathing room’ on either side of the timeline; don’t have your assets bumped up against the start or end points. Give Captivate at least a half-second to start into the assets after the slide starts, and another half to ‘unload’ things at the end (this especially applies to audio and video).

Finally, as noted a few months ago, be sure to apply the ‘available’ patch to 6.0.1. Note there is also a newer patch, but it’s only available to ASA subscribers or those who are working with a Creative Cloud versions of Captivate or eLearning Suite 6. (update: Captivate/eLearning Suite 'subscriptions' really aren't a part of the Creative Cloud offerings - there's no integration between the two yet. The subscription model is really more just a matter of payment, though it does then allow these newer updates.)

Should you run into any difficulty with your Captivate projects, certainly drop us a line! Captivate is a solid product but sometimes getting the perfect performance and results takes an expert touch…

Powerpoint, eLearning, and a Decent Outcome

Few things make an idealistic eLearning developer cringe more than the question, “Can you convert my Powerpoint deck to eLearning that I can load into my LMS?” However, that is a very common approach and tools like Articulate Presenter haven’t gained their global reach for any less of a reason.

Powerpoint is a fine place to start with eLearning development – whether the ultimate goal is to just ‘convert’ those presentations to web and SCORM-compliant projects or to use the tool more as an initial storyboard to be further developed with more substantial tools like Storyline, Captivate, Lectora, or even custom Flash or HTML solutions.

Regardless of your eventual end-product, Powerpoint can be a very useful tool in eLearning development. We’ve worked with thousands of PPT files over the years, from straight conversions to more custom builds, resulting in several suggestions when developing your training content with Powerpoint. These steps provide a solid base content piece for actual conversion, whether you do it yourself or look for nuanced expertise, such as we offer.

1. Design should be a foremost consideration. Give careful thought to the presentation and ensure the progression of the concepts and processes ‘flow’ from one to the next. Ensure there is proper established knowledge early on. For example, don’t start throwing out industry acronyms without explaining them first (and ideally offering a mnemonic for helping remember what they may actually stand for).
2. Design doesn’t only mean ‘instructional’, of course, but the overall user-interface (UI) and the elements used within the piece. Consistent styles between images and fonts make for a much more pleasing experience in themselves. It’s jarring to see actual images on one slide then rough clipart on the next. Elements like information boxes may vary in size and position, but their overall style should be consistent (copy/paste can be a real help here).
3. Related, text styles matter too – slide headers should be of the same size, weight, and color throughout the presentation. Use the styles PPT offers, or take the time to setup custom styles and apply them consistently. Another thing to watch for in consistency is formatting styles… such as, do your bullet points end with periods? Always? Consider creating a style guide.
4. Use multimedia and ‘SmartArt’ to at least grab the learner’s attention. With multimedia everywhere these days, it’s almost imperative it pop-up in your training. Whether it’s a simple animation created in PPT or custom animation, video, or 3D elements, well-placed, relevant media can really help drive home your objectives. Of course, overdoing it can be distracting, so use it wisely.
5. Understand and use the Slide Master. This is such a good idea for establishing ‘global’ elements and styles, Captivate incorporated the same idea in their more recent versions. And note only does a Slide Master help with screen styles, but with Notes formatting preferences too – which can be a big help when using the Notes View where speaker notes may be identified differently from footnotes, glossary definitions, or author notes.
6. Don’t rely on the templates. The templates provided with Powerpoint can provide some ideas, but it may be better to start with a ‘blank slate’ to organize your ideas clearly, then apply the design afterwards.  There are plenty of site on the web that offer additional PPT templates but why be limited to what others offer? With Slide Masters and some basic design skills, a custom UI design for your specific course is possible, and can help it stand out from all the other “templatized” courseware out there.
7. While we prefer to use professional narrators, you can record audio directly in PPT. That may be a good approach for a ‘scratch track’ – once you have the slides built, record the narration through PPT. You may still want to have those clips re-recorded by a pro.

Once your Powerpoint-based content is developed, use the features available in the authoring tools to enhance the courseware. Whether it’s a few simple ‘Engage’ interactions with the Articulate suite, or some mild quiz features from Adobe’s Presenter product, or more advanced interactivity using tools available from Captivate, or really advanced functionality with Flash or Javascript… Don’t forget, it’s not just about presenting the information – Learners retain more through engagement, interactivity, relevancy, and practice. Certainly consider a ‘gamification’ approach!

 

If you’re stuck with a somewhat ineffective PPT-based training piece and are looking for some instructional design help or ideas on improving the effectiveness through interactive and engaging elements, drop us a line!

Thrones of Gamification

Ok, perhaps the title is a bit of a stretch…but did it get your attention? Did it spark a sense of relevance to something else you already know about, and are perhaps even a fan of?

It’s a long-established design principle, not just for instructional design, that making your ‘content’ more meaningful to the learner is an effective way to at least  improve engagement, if not enhance actual learning.

In general, gamification appeals to people’s sense of competition and achievement, though perhaps more at the root is an appeal to curiosity. One significant component of this approach may be to abandon traditional ‘present the objectives up front’ (which can spark quite a battle between traditional design and a desire to Do Something Different) and, instead, lead with an opening question…i.e. “Our product is #2. How can we improve production to reach #1?!”
(or perhaps in the context of the earlier ‘Problem-based Learning’ article; “It’s freezing in here and all you have is that stick…how can that ‘spark’ a much needed fire?”)

Dr. Karl Kapp’s ASTD DC Metro 2013 Presentation, ‘Gamification of Learning’, was an excellent presentation providing real-world examples of how game elements can enhance retention and results. Strategies like using challenges, fantasy elements, story components, and characters can all serve to make your training more engaging. However, like all other strategies, it’s not a proverbial silver bullet; there are certainly many topics and situations where gamification may not apply, and may even be detrimental…and it can take some solid instructional design skill to correctly assess the compatible opportunities.

Note that ‘Gamification’ differs from ‘Serious Games’!

The ‘Serious Games’ side advocates full immersion. We here at ICS Learning Group assisted GWU with the backend component of such an experience, Zero Hour, released back in 2009. Based on the Unreal Engine, the game could be registered for and tracked via our LMS-based backend, then the game downloaded to the user’s computer with the intent to train, recruit, and practice EMS responses to emergency situations. Think ‘first-person shooter’ but where the goal was to provide medical treatment to the injured.

Gamification, on the other hand, is more abstract – involving game mechanics in order to engage users and solve problems. Despite clear distinctions between the approaches, ultimately the goals are the same – more effective knowledge transfer, engagement, and learning. We strive to involve such elements, as appropriate, to keep our courseware engaging and effective.

Want to learn more? Harrisburg University is sponsoring a webinar on April 4th, ‘What is going on with Gamification in corporate America?’ Read more about “4 on the 4th at 4”; “Join a panel of industry experts in this webinar as they answer your questions and discuss the current state of gamification as a learning and performance tool in corporate America.” Maybe we’ll virtually see you there!

If you’re even more ‘serious’, Coursera is offering a Gamification course sponsored by UPenn, starting April 1st (2013).

And, of course, drop us a line if we can provide any guidance on your own gamification adventure!